Sunday, February 12, 2012

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Ever thought of if one day you were left stranded on an island living hopelessly?

I've read a book recently, and here's a story that the writer wrote to illustrate how the grace of God can not only save us, but also help us live an extraordinary life! (I'll try to cut it as short as possible.)

There's this sailor who one day was involved in a ship wreck and was left stranded on an isolated island. There was no one on the island, he had no food and shelter. He tried catching fish using his hand made spear, but failed. He tried climbing trees to get its fruit, but ended up only with bruises on his arms and legs. As a last resort for food, he chased wild deer and boar and attempted to kill them with large stones but failed. During the night, he heard wild animals stalking him. Desperate for survival, he found a huge boulder and climb on top of it, avoiding any chances that he would get attack by wild animals. He spend his night on the boulder, cold and shivering. He felt relatively safe, but also imprisoned. Feeling exhausted and depressed, up to this point, he felt hopeless, thinking that he would either die of starvation or being mauled by a wild animal.

The next morning, a man appeared out of nowhere in front of the sailor. He told the sailor that he was a messenger sent by his master from the future to help him, and told the sailor that in 3 months time, a ship is going to pass by the island. To get the attention of the ship that would be passing by, the messenger took out a gun. The sailor haven't seen a gun before as it wasn't invented yet. To demonstrate on how to use the gun, the messenger loaded the gun with bullets and pulled the trigger which produce a loud noise. Excited, the sailor received the gun and a box of bullets. However, having mixed emotions, even though the sailor was given a way out of the island, how can he survive in the island for the next 3 months when he struggled to find food and shelter.

"There's more!" said the messenger. You can use the gun to shoot down fruits from trees, kill deers and fishes for food, protect yourselves from wild animals and use animals skin for shelter and to blanket yourself during the night. At this point, the sailor is overwhelmed with gratefulness. Suddenly a thought came to his mind and he curiously ask, "messenger, what do i need to give you in return for the gun?"

With a smile, the messenger replied, "I know you have no money, and even if you did, repayment is not the reason why I've done this for you. My master saw your sufferings through the time machine and decided provide me with this gun to give you. I had the joy of delivering his gift."

In the end, the gun not only spared his life, but also comfortably sustain him for the next 3 months on the island. He is saved!

The grace of God not only saves us, but also provides us the power to live an extraordinary life!